Temperature dependent bacteriophages of a tropical bacterial pathogenJinyu ShanS. KorbsrisateP. WithatanungNatalie Lazar AdlerMartha R. J. ClokieEdouard E. Galyov2381/31813https://leicester.figshare.com/articles/Temperature_dependent_bacteriophages_of_a_tropical_bacterial_pathogen/10168814There is an increasing awareness of the multiple ways that bacteriophages (phages) influence
bacterial evolution, population dynamics, physiology, and pathogenicity. By studying
a novel group of phages infecting a soil borne pathogen, we revealed a paradigm shifting
observation that the phages switch their lifestyle according to temperature. We sampled
soil from an endemic area of the serious tropical pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei,
and established that podoviruses infecting the pathogen are frequently present in soil, and
many of them are naturally occurring variants of a common virus type. Experiments on
one phage in the related model B. thailandensis demonstrated that temperature defines
the outcome of phage-bacteria interactions. At higher temperatures (37◦C), the phage
predominantly goes through a lytic cycle, but at lower temperatures (25◦C), the phage
remains temperate. This is the first report of a naturally occurring phage that follows a lytic
or temperate lifestyle according to temperature.These observations fundamentally alter the
accepted views on the abundance, population biology and virulence of B. pseudomallei.
Furthermore, when taken together with previous studies, our findings suggest that the
phenomenon of temperature dependency in phages is widespread. Such phages are likely
to have a profound effect on bacterial biology, and on our ability to culture and correctly
enumerate viable bacteria.2015-03-06 16:40:07lysogenybacteriophagesBurkholderia pseudomalleiBurkholderia thailandensistemperature dependency